From lapdog to 300-kilo bomb
How cute. The cute pooch sits on her owner’s lap and licks her face with relish. How stupid. Blind dog love can be fatal in the car. Because no animal is constantly controllable, perfect wet muzzles à la Rex are only available in the film. great dane shih tzu mix even the lamest Fiffi has moments when he freaks out. If it happens in the car, where two seconds of distraction are enough for the unwanted lane change, it can crash to the final score.
An example: When braking from 40 km/h to zero, ten kilos of the dog becomes a 300-kilo bomb. Bang! It smashes everything that gets in its way: headrests, seats, and finally the people. The fact that the comprehensive insurance no longer pays for the damage incurred seems almost harmless incidental. So let’s stay realistic with all the love: Dogs are animals, and so we have one problem in the car: There is no optimal place for them. They are all reserved for people and their luggage. So: Where to go with the dog?
Of course, this also depends on the character. Elvis, the shepherd mongrel of our colleague Diether Rodatz, even sat in the trunk of notchback limousines. Being there is everything. With his head in the hatch, he always had eye and scent contact with his master. For short distances, this is certainly still fine. After a tour from Munich to the North Cape, Elvis will probably remain stiff forever. By the way: Most dogs hate dark and just go crazy.
Dividing grilles, transport boxes, protective mats
So: dog in the car – preferably on the back of a station wagon or van. Separated from people by a reasonable, stable safety net or grid. The separation grilles ex-works, usually extendable like a roller blind, are stable and easy to operate, but somewhat narrow on some models (e.B. BMW and Audi). Articulated dogs like to wander forward through the hole. Opel offers the best grid here. Although cumbersome to assemble – but is wide and stable.
An alternative is grids from the accessories. But only if they are tailor-made to the car type. Universal grilles, possibly still attached to the car with telescopic rods, have at best an alibi function. A paw blow and the laboriously assembled part folds miserably.
After all, small to medium-sized dogs find sufficient space and protection even in sturdy transport boxes. If you don’t have a station wagon, it’s hard to get around it: The dog has to be strapped in. Two disadvantages: Not every animal can be forced into an uncomfortable special belt. The livelier the dog, the more jagged the knot that must be loosened at the end of the ride.
Protective blankets for the rear seat suspended on the headrests protect only the upholstery – nothing more. A safe alternative to buckling up is the grid developed by the Alliance Security Center. Main disadvantage: If it is mounted – which is quite cumbersome – the car becomes a two-seater.
How to protect the upholstery
Once the dog has found its place in the car, it is necessary to prevent an evil: hair and spitting. For this purpose, there are a myriad of protective mats for the cargo area, of which we have tested three: The black and white Pico Bello protective blanket forms pockets on the edge.training young rat terrier puppy this can bite dogs well or – in case of motion sickness – used as a spittoon.
Roby’s dog blanket is stubborn and difficult to maneuver, the Velcro fasteners do not hold. It is better with the lightweight protective tarpaulin CoverAll, which is attached to the windows with suction cups and to the headrests with straps (from 60 marks, via Guse). Best and cheapest: an old carpet residue that is cut to size. When it is completely nibbled and drooled, it wanders into the bin.
